Open your project for editing in iMovie on your Mac, and then follow these steps to reduce the background sounds:
- Select your video clip in the movie Timeline.
- Click the Noise Reduction and Equalizer button above the Viewer.
- Check the box for Reduce background noise and then move the slider for the percentage of reduction you want to apply.
- Optionally, you can choose an Equalizer option from the drop-down box. You can pick from choices like Voice Enhance, Music Enhance, or Hum Reduction.
If you apply an effect that you don’t like, just click Reset.
While iMovie can’t remove all of the background sounds in your video, the noise reduction tools should help.
Reduce background noise in iMovie on iPhone and iPad
The iMovie app for iPhone and iPad does not have a button to reduce background noise. So, your options are not straightforward. All options below require you to record audio separately from the video or to detach audio from video, clean it, and then reattach.
Know that the general rule is. “Bad in bad out”. Meaning, you should really try to record what you want, how you want it from the very beginning. If you are recording dialogue and there are kids screaming in the background. There is no way to fully remove the screaming kids from the background without affecting the main dialogue. If you want absolute silence in the background, then your environment needs to have absolute silence in it from the onset of filming. Otherwise you may have to use the audio as is.
You can record audio separately in the iPhone Voice Memos app, remove the background noise, and use it in iMovie (by tapping the three dots icon for a voice recording in the Voice Memos app > Share > iMovie. If you don’t see iMovie, tap More from the end of app icons).
Or, you can use third-party apps like Audio Noise Reducer & Recorder or Auphonic to remove background noise from your video.These services may or may not be free. Next, import this video into your iMovie project.
NOTE: Here is a link to a Youtube tutorial on how to use Auphonic from the youtube channel: “Comet Creator”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ivSzr3gIDA&t=220s
How to use “Enhance Recording” in Voice Memos on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Voice Memos app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.
- Capture a new audio recording or choose one of your previously saved recordings on the list to reveal options. After that, hit the settings icon.
- Enable the switch for Enhance Recording icon near the top-left corner of the interface.
- Finally, hit X to save the changes and exit.
That’s it!
On-device machine learning will attempt to do its best to minimize background noise and reduce room reverberation as much as possible. Depending on the audio quality of your source recording, you may experience a minor or major difference after applying Enhance Recording processing.
Keep in mind that this is a non-destructive editing feature — you can easily revert back to the original recording by switching off the Enhance Recording icon or choosing Reset.